The Taj Mahal, a 'teardrop on the cheek of time' Search The Taj Mahal, a 'teardrop on the cheek of time' The most important tourist destination in India, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Taj Mahal continues to fascinate us with its beauty, serenity and magnificence. September 24, 2010 by hellomagazine.com The most important tourist destination in India, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Taj Mahal continues to fascinate us with its beauty, serenity and magnificence. Women in bright saris, half-naked holy men, and camel trains... the setting of this splendid mausoleum has changed little down through the centuries, and the Taj Mahal is surrounded by a timeless aura of magic. The monument was built by the Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan, of the Mughal dynasty, in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal who gave him fourteen children, but died in the last childbirth.

Disconsolate at her death, the shah ordered construction of the Taj Mahal as a posthumous gift and lasting monument to his love. Begun in 1631, it is set on the banks of the Yamuna, in the city of Agra, and the complex of buildings and surrounding gardens were not finished until 1654. The architectural style is a combination of Persian, Islamic and Indian; the white marble walls are decorated with calligraphy and carvings and set with jewels. It is said that 20,000 workers toiled for over 20 years on this monument to love, to fulfil the promise of a bereaved husband and the obsession of a powerful ruler.

As the sun sinks and twilight clothes the unmistakable silhouette of columns and domes, no better phrase comes to mind than that of Rabindranath Tagore, who described the Taj Mahal as: "A teardrop on the cheek of time." Use the left and right arrow keys to view the images "A Teardrop On the Cheek of Time" The Taj Mahal "A Teardrop On the Cheek of Time" The Taj Mahal "a teardrop on the cheek of time" -- Rabindranath Tagore "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but a proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones." -- Sir Edwin Arnold The Taj Mahal is a breathtaking location imbued with a romantic history. Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, began construction of this crypt and memorial in 1631 after the death of his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Mahal was a Muslim Persian princess and mother to Jahan’s fourteen children. Jahan fell in love with Mahal when she came to Agra Fort with embroidered handicrafts that were a specialty of the period. The two were inseparable companions; Mahal even followed her husband into battle.

Before her death, Mahal requested that Shah build the Taj as a monument to eternal love. It took twenty-two years and twenty thousand workers to complete the project. During this time Jahan’s youngest son killed his brothers, imprisoned his father and imposed a bloody, fundamentalist regime. From his prison room at Agra Fort, Jahan watched the slow construction of the Taj. When he died, Jahan’s tomb was placed beside Mahal’s inside the Taj. The impressive dome of the Taj Mahal and the four minarets that frame it are constructed of white Indian marble that remains as pristine as when it was first constructed. The workmanship is meticulous. Intricate floral patterns and geometric designs inside and outside are inlaid with precious stones that reflect the fluctuating light of day and season. Delicate, elaborate hand-carved screens at windows and doors are derived from single slabs of marble. Gardens and wide marble verandas add to the gentle, peaceful ambiance. Rectangular pools reflect the graceful symmetry of the construction. Across the river from the Taj Mahal is the impressive red sandstone fortress of Agra Fort that was the seat of power for the Mughal Empire for six generations.

Jahan’s bedroom allows for a perfect view of the Taj. It was in this room that Jahan was kept prisoner for eight years. One can easily imagine the emperor quietly sitting, observing the construction of his wife’s masoleum and reflecting on happier times. The Taj Mahal is truly a place where poetry, history, art, architecture have blended to produce a universal testament to love. Enter supporting content here Taj Mahal, A Shrine of love Indian Languages The Taj Mahal - A Shrine of Love Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time... (Poet Rabindranath Tagore) Taj aptly called a 'a dream in Marble' is situated on the right banks of the Yamuna river. It is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of architecture in the world. It is an extravagant marble monument of love, built by Shahjahan in 1653 as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child.

This most famous Mughal monument was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the 'lady of the Taj'. After the death of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan could not bear this great loss of his dear wife and his health began to decline. For complete two years, he abstained himself from all kinds of pleasures and ceremonies. Every Friday, Shah Jahan used to go to her grave on foot in white dress, to read 'Fatiha,' accompained by his courtiers and nobles. Taj Mahal has been described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building from 1631 to 1653. The Taj is a perfect fusion of Indian and persian architecture. The main architect was Ustad Isa Khan, who came from Shiraz in Iran, with his pupil Ahmed Paras. They both were of Persian origin but both were Indian at the same time as they were converted to Islam.

White marble and red sandstone, silver and gold, carnelian and jasper, moonstone and jade, lapiz lazuli and coral were fashioned by 20, 000 skilled workers to make the emperor's dream a reality. It took 22 years to complete - a poignant symbol of eternal love where Shahjahan too lies buried, reunited at last with his beloved Mumtaz. Inside the Taj Mahal, the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal stands at the center of an octagonal hall, while the slightly larger tomb of Shah Jahan, who died in 1666, is off to one side. Both are elaborately carved and inlaid with semiprecious stones, illuminated by sunlight filtering through an elaborately carved marble screen that is also studded with jewels. The Taj Mahal being the dedication and homage of Mumtaz Mahal, it has calligraphy all over the interior and exterior, which, among other patterns and holy inscriptions, also has calligraphy on the tomb that identifies and praises Mumtaz Mahal. Another interesting fact is that there are 99 names of Allah found on the sides of the actual tomb as calligraphic inscriptions.

After all, Shah Jahan did envision Mumtaz’s home in the paradise, and Taj Mahal was that imagination coming to life. Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or subtracted from it. Agra, city in northern India, in Uttar Pradesh State, capital of Agra District, on the Yamuna River. Agra is a railroad junction and a commercial and industrial center for the surrounding agricultural area. The city has an extensive trade in cotton, grain, tobacco, salt, and sugar. Factories are engaged in food processing and the production of cotton textiles, carpets, iron and steel, and leather goods Interesting Facts about Taj Mahal The name Taj Mahal means “crown of palaces”. Taj Gardens were designed by Ali Mardan Khan, who was a noble in the Moghul court.

According to one gruesome (and most likely sensational) story, Shah Jahan had his minions cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect and his workers after the structure was completed, ensuring they would never build another of its kind. At its center is the Taj Mahal itself, built of shimmering white marble that seems to change color depending on the sunlight or moonlight hitting its surface. One of the Taj Mahal’s most recognizable features is a large white dome that is often called an ‘onion dome’ due to its shape. It has a height of around 35 metres (115 feet) and is surrounded by 4 smaller domes. Did you know that the Taj Mahal dose different colours at different times of the day? The white marble and the reflective tiles help the Taj change colours. In the early morning, it assumes a shy pinkish hue, which turns to a glowing white as the day rolls on, and turns a burnished golden at night in the moonlight. The Taj Mahal is a particular attraction when on full moon nights. The changing colours are said to be analogous to the moods of a woman – Mumtaz Mahal, to be specific.

The Taj Mahal is considered to be one of India’s most admired works of art, as well as a famous landmark and a tourist attraction that draws millions of visitors every year. Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor's love wrought in living stones. - English Poet, Sir Edwin Arnold It appears like a perfect pearl on an azure ground. The effect is such I have never experienced from any work of art. - British painter, Hodges The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time. ― Rabindranath Tagore There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it and those who have not seen the Taj and love it. I would like people to watch my Taj Mahal and fall in love with it. - Bill Clinton Advertisement Featured Navratri, the Festival of Nine Nights, is celebrated in honor of goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.... Learn more... Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami is celebrated by Indians every year in the Hindu Vikrami Calender month of Ashwin.....

Learn More Sharad Poornima is also known as Kojaagari Poornima or Kumar Poornima.It is celebrated on the full moon day of.... Learn More The fast of Karwa Chauth is kept 9 days before Diwali. It falls on the fourth day of the Kartik month by the Hindu calendar.... Learn More Sponsors Did You Know? Sanskrit is the mother of all the European Languages . Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer Advertisement Welcome To Official WebSite of Taj Mahal-U.P.Tourism I Mughal Splendour Who could ever think that an eternal love leading to the saga of infinite bondage can evolve out of a desert like land and would blossom to be the reason to gift our world a poem-in-marble, The Taj! No image of The Taj, neither on canvass nor on celluloid, can adequately express its conceptual imaginary nor convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shrouds what Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the cheek of time". The Taj Mahal, a spectacle in white marble, unparalleled in grandeur that depicts the sheer opulence of an era.

The awesome structure, the monument of love that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan gave to the world, stands as a testimony of his intense love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is a romance celebrated in marble and glorified with precious and semi-precious stones and that’s the way to appreciate it! Uttar Pradesh, the Land of The Taj is rich in its cultural heritage and has always been a prominent arena of politics since the ancient times. Agra, the City of The Taj and once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th through the early 18th centuries, enjoys a close proximity to the National Capital City of New Delhi. Tourists from all over the world visit Agra to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal, India’s most famous architectural wonder, in a land where magnificent temples and edifices abound to remind visitors about the rich civilization of a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized society as well. Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world.

The English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold has described The Taj as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones." It is a romance celebrated in marble and glorified with precious and semi-precious stones and that’s the way to appreciate it!. Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his third but the most favourite wife, in fact a soul-mate Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 13th child. The death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months.

When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. However, due to ill health and being under house arrest by his own son and successor to the throne, Aurangzeb, barred him from continue to keep the last promise. The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen’s as an afterthought. Legend has it that during his eight years long ailment and imprisonment, Shah Jahan used to intensly view The Taj lying on the bed through a diamond fixed in the wall in front at a particular angle. WOW!!!

As a tribute to a woman of exotic beauty and as a monument of a love story, which is keeping us engrossed even when we are reading through these pages here, truely an ever-lasting romance of a love not ended as yet, the Taj reveals its subtleties to its beholder! The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In Indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj. The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. The Taj sparkles like a jewel in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch and reflect back its glow with a better gleam.

The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of a beauty of any kind. Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble. A masterpiece of the art and science of architecture, a representative of an era called The Mughal Period surpassing any authority to add or de-add anything in any sense in or out of the Taj! The Taj Mahal stands tall with grace is not just a parable epitome of emotional & eternal love between a man and a woman but for other reasons too _ Emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the construction of ‘The Taj’, desired to create it also as a symbol of solemnity, harmony, purity and spirituality as well. The Taj is not merely a monument of grace and dignity alone. It is, in fact, a message to all mankind that “Pure love is the soul of life”.

The Taj is a reminder for all mankind about the universally accepted but not so well practiced concept of ‘Love & Peace’, the essence of the paradise, free from conflicts of races and geographical boundaries is important to be observed solemnly. The Taj is simply a majestic tribute to an exotic beauty! The saga of The Taj would be half told if the myths related to it are not mentioned. Like many a great buildings the Taj Mahal has its myths and legends. It seems that there is more fiction on the Taj than serious scholarly research. Several of the stories belong solely to oral tradition and are told by the guides, some are so established that they form a popular history of the monument and have made their way into guidebooks, and some have been taken up by scholars, or even created by them, and thus become part of the scholarly debate. Facts To the last category belong the oldest tales of the Taj. Here the most widely known is the story of the second Taj, the 'Black Taj', which Shah Jahan intended to build in black marble opposite the present mausoleum, on the site of the Mahtab Bagh.

It goes back to Jean-Baptiste Tavernier who, when at Agra in 1665 AD, reported that 'Shahjahan began to built his own tomb on the other side of the river, but the war with his sons interrupted his plan, and Aurangzeb, who reigns at present, is not disposed to complete it. Shah Jahan was put under house arrest by his own son and successor by force, Aurangzeb. The latter did not agree with his father on most issues and was particularly opposed to him building a black Taj as his own mausoleum. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb made the body of the Emperor, who got the body of his beloved Mumtaz in a golden casket from Burhanpur to Agra, carried in a boat by only two men and buried him in the Taj, next to his wife in probably the simplest manner. Shah Jahan, the Emperor, who fulfilled the wishes of his beloved, could not find fulfilment of his own wish to build a Black Taj to express his mourning for the beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal even after his death. That was the serenity in the purity of love.

Legend has it that during his eight years long ailment and imprisonment, Shah Jahan used to intensly view The Taj lying on the bed through a diamond fixed in the wall in front at a particular angle, WOW!!! As a tribute to a woman of exotic beauty and as a monument of a love story, which is keeping us engrossed even when we are reading through these pages here, truely an ever-lasting romance of a love not ended as yet, the Taj reveals its subtleties to its Beholder! Come!! Be Thy One!!! 5 Intriguing Facts About Taj Mahal Monument in India - Fascinating Planet 5 Intriguing Facts About Taj Mahal Monument in India Email “A teardrop on the cheek of time”, said poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore about the Taj Mahal. The exquisite marble beauty that it is, Taj Mahal a world heritage site is also often considered as the most magnificent of all seven wonders of the world, and the finest artwork in all of Mughal architecture. To demonstrate the enthusiasm around this wonder, as many as 3 million people visit this site every year.

Many a stories are a testimony to the brilliance of this masterpiece that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan is said to have built for Mumtaz, the love of his life. So, we shall bust some myths and uncover some lesser known facts about this 17th century crown of palaces. Brace yourself; some of these facts about Taj Mahal Monument may change the way you look at this testament to true love. Fact #1 That Mumtaz Mahal was really “the one” for Shah Jahan is debatable. Now, the emperor’s love for Mumtaz is fairly established. However, factually speaking, Shah Jahan was married seven times, and Mumtaz was his 3rd wife. She died giving birth to their 14th child. And, right after that, Shah Jahan married her sister. Adding fuel to the fire is the absence of any history on their love affair. There’s really no historical evidence or documentation of the emperor’s infatuation with the empress. All there is are stories and speculations as an afterthought. So, how true their love was is a matter of controversy.

Fact #2 99 different names of Allah are inscribed in calligraphy on the sides of Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb adding to the grandeur of the Taj. What’s more, the monument is decorated with many passages from the Quran that grace the complex. Fact #3 Famous fleecer Natwarlal made history by selling the Taj Mahal repeatedly. Just how one can successfully convince someone to buy the Taj Mahal from him is absolutely fascinating. This is what India’s noted conman Natwarlal (real name Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava) did not only once, and did it over and over. With over 50 aliases and innovative cheating tactics, Natwarlal duped various innocent foreigners by selling them the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and even the Parliament House together with over 500 seating members! This deceiving man is considered by many in India living legend – so much so, that today, he has a temple in his name at his native village. He died in 2009 though there is controversy with a possibility of him having died way earlier in 1996.

Fact #4 The burial chamber in that Taj houses false “graves” of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. When you enter the key chamber inside the Taj Mahal, you’ll be able to see two beautifully carved rectangular marble receptacles that look like graves. However, those are not the actual graves of the emperor and the empress. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are, in fact, buried 50m deep below the surface in an inner chamber, in a rather less decorated fashion. Fact #5 There are secret passages and various sealed rooms that nobody has access to within the monument. In fact, this is considered one of the most shocking secrets about Taj Mahal which the Indian government has practically banned any further research on. According to Indian Historian P. N. Oak, the sealed rooms might contain evidence that Taj Mahal was originally a temple of Lord Shiva, and that Shah Jahan never built it in the first place. He simply conquered it from the Rajputs during the battle in Agra. The government has not only banned Oak’s book “Taj Mahal: The True Story”, but refuses to reopen the rooms fearing discrepancies that might arise.

These will be some of the fascinating facts about Taj Mahal India’s best known 367 year old Monument. TAJ MAHAL: A TEARDROP ON THE CHEEK OF TIME | Le Mauricien TAJ MAHAL: A TEARDROP ON THE CHEEK OF TIME Article paru dans Le Mauricien | 13 February, 2015 - 23:53 | Par MAUBARAKAHMAD BOODHUN On 14 February lovers all over the world will celebrate Valentine’s Day. The origin of this celebration can be traced back to the case of a priest in the Roman Empire who helped persecuted Christians getting married during the reign of Claudius II. He was eventually thrown in jail and later beheaded on February, 14. Valentine’s Day also has its roots in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February, 15. Nevertheless, it has now become more of a commercial enterprise used by traders and other marketeers to boost their sales in chocolates, candies and flowers.

On that particular day, lovers, unfazed, would uncompromisingly embark on a spending spree to please their beloved, notwithstanding the exaggerated price hike for the gifts they choose. This is the price of love! Yet there is a building on the banks of river Jamuna that stands out as the monument of love. The Taj Mahal. A mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, the Moghul emperor in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. On the occasion of Valentine’s Day there is no better way to pay tribute to love than to remember the story behind the Taj Mahal. History has it that in the intense summer heat of June 1631 Mumtaz went into labour for her fourteenth childbirth. However, what was to be an eventful day for the Royal couple turned out to become an agonizing moment. A daughter was born, but Mumtaz could not survive. Yet, before death could take hold of her soul, she extracted a promise from her beloved husband not to have children with any other wife but also to build a tomb for her the like of which was never seen.

The parting words of the dying Queen were: Build for me a mausoleum, which would be unique, extremely beautiful the like of which is not on earth. Shah Jahan went in deep mourning and lamented the futility of his existence without Mumtaz: Even though the Incomparable Giver has conferred upon us such great bounty…… yet the person with whom we wanted to enjoy it has gone” In accordance with the promise made to his departing wife, Shah Jahan embarked on the construction of an illumined tomb as a fitting monument for the “Queen of the Age” but also to epitomize his abiding love for her. Many people have borrowed their inspiration from the Taj Mahal and its history. While Sir Rabindranath Tagore calls it “a teardrop on the cheek of time”, Sahir Ludhianvi, the well-known Urdu poet from India, on the other hand has been very critical of the Taj Mahal. The Taj, mayhap, to you may seem, a mark of love supreme You may hold this beauteous vale in great esteem; Yet, my love, meet me hence at some other place!...

Countless men in this world must have loved and gone, Who would say their love wasn't truthful or strong? But in the name of their love, no memorial is raised For they too, like you and me, belonged to the common throng….. This bank of Jamuna, this edifice, these groves and lawns, These carved walls and doors, arches and alcoves, An emperor on the strength of his wealth, has played with us a cruel joke. Meet me hence, my love, at some other place. Since we are celebrating love, I found no better definition than the one given by the celebrated Muslim mystic, the great Sheik Muyyiuddin Ibn Arabi in his magnum opus, the no less famous Al Futuhat Al Makkiyya (Illuminations de la Mecque).

“L’amour, sache-le bien, ne possède l’être que s’il le laisse sourd à tout propos autre que celui entendu du bien-aimé, aveugle à tout regard qui n’émane pas de lui, indifférent à la parole qui ne provient pas de l’aimé et indifférent même aux propos de ceux que celui-ci aime. Le cœur scellé, il ne laisse pénétrer que l’amour du bien-aimé, un verrou apposé sur le recel de son imagination pour qu’il ne se représente que la forme de son aimé en s’interdisant la vision d’un autre qui lui ferait concurrence et en refusant toute description étrangère à lui dont l’imagination pourrait s’emparer » (Ibn Arabi, Traité de l’Amour, traduction Maurice Glotan) As for the Taj Mahal itself, it is a majestic building that stands on the banks of the Jamuna river, Agra, India. Its construction took more than 20 years. The chief architect was Ustad Ahmad Lahouri.

In keeping with Islamic traditions, verses from the Quran were inscribed in calligraphy on the arched entrances to the mausoleum, in addition to numerous other sections of the complex. Its surrounding gardens are of exquisite beauty and blend perfectly with the majesty of the building. When Shah Jahan died he was buried next to Mumtaz. Edward Lear pays the greatest tribute to the Taj Mahal when he stated “Description of this wonderfully lovely place is silly as no words can describe it at all. Henceforth, let the inhabitants of this world be divided into two classes- them as have seen the Taj Mahal and them as hasn’t”. Ik mahal ho sapnon ka. How True it is. Taj Mahal - A Tribute to Beauty Tajmahal - A Tribute to Beauty Agra, once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th and early 18th centuries, is one and a half hours by express train from New Delhi.

Tourists from all over the world visit Agra not to see the ruins of the red sandstone fortress built by the Mughal emperors but to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal , India�s most famous architectural wonder, in a land where magnificent temples and edificies abound to remind visitors about the rich civilization of a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized society. The postcard picture of Taj Mahal does not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the cheek of time". Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor�s love wrought in living stones." It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that�s the way to appreciate it.

Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 14th child. The death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months. When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it.

The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. It was designed by the Iranian architect Ustad Isa and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a "symbol of eternal love". The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen�s as an afterthought. The emperor was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the Great Red Fort for eight years but was buried in the Taj. During his imprisonment, he had a view of the Taj. As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry.

The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman�s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj. The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman.

Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or substracted from it. Would you like to see some beautiful pictures of Taj Mahal ? If your browser supports Javascript, you can change the background colour of this page by selecting a new one here! Since April 1998 Taj Mahal in Agra, India - Lonely Planet © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors Poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as 'a teardrop on the cheek of eternity'; Rudyard Kipling as 'the embodiment of all things pure'; while its creator, Emperor Shah Jahan, said it made 'the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes'. Every year, tourists numbering more than twice the population of Agra pass through its gates to catch a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of what is widely considered the most beautiful building in the world. Few leave disappointed.

The Taj was built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. The death of Mumtaz left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned grey virtually overnight. Construction of the Taj began the following year; although the main building is thought to have been built in eight years, the whole complex was not completed until 1653. Not long after it was finished Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra Fort, where for the rest of his days he could only gaze out at his creation through a window. Following his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here alongside his beloved Mumtaz. In total, some 20,000 people from India and Central Asia worked on the building. Specialists were brought in from as far away as Europe to produce the exquisite marble screens and pietra dura (marble inlay work) made with thousands of semiprecious stones.

The Taj was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983 and looks nearly as immaculate today as when it was first constructed – though it underwent a huge restoration project in the early 20th century. • Entry & Information Note: the Taj is closed every Friday to anyone not attending prayers at the mosque. The Taj can be accessed through the west , south and east gates. Tour groups tend to enter through the east and west gates. Independent travellers tend to use the south gate, which is nearest to Taj Ganj, the main area for budget accommodation, and generally has shorter queues than the west gate. The east gate has the shortest queues of the lot, but this is because the ticket office is inconveniently located a 1km walk away at Shilpgram, a dire, government-run tourist centre. There are separate queues for men and women at all three gates. Once you get your ticket, you can skip ahead of the lines of Indians waiting to get in – one perk of your pricey entry fee. Cameras and videos are permitted but you can't take photographs inside the mausoleum itself, and the areas in which you can take videos are quite limited. Tripods are banned.

Remember to retrieve your free 500ml bottle of water and shoe covers (included in Taj ticket price). If you keep your ticket you get small entry-fee discounts when visiting Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's Tomb or the Itimad-ud-Daulah on the same day. You can also pick up an audio guide (₹120). Bags much bigger than a money pouch are not allowed inside; free bag storage is available at the west gate. Any food or tobacco will be confiscated when you go through security. From the south gate, entry to the inner compound is through a very impressive 30m red-sandstone gateway on the south side of the forecourt, which is inscribed with verses from the Quran. • Inside the Grounds Once inside, the ornamental gardens are set out along classical Mughal charbagh (formal Persian garden) lines – a square quartered by watercourses, with an ornamental marble plinth at its centre. When the fountains are not flowing, the Taj is beautifully reflected in the water. The Taj Mahal itself stands on a raised marble platform at the northern end of the ornamental gardens, with its back to the Yamuna River.

Its raised position means that the backdrop is only sky – a masterstroke of design. Purely decorative 40m-high white minarets grace each corner of the platform. After more than three centuries they are not quite perpendicular, but they may have been designed to lean slightly outwards so that in the event of an earthquake they would fall away from the precious Taj. The red-sandstone mosque to the west is an important gathering place for Agra's Muslims. The identical building to the east, the jawab , was built for symmetry. The central Taj structure is made of semitranslucent white marble, carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones in beautiful patterns. A perfect exercise in symmetry, the four identical faces of the Taj feature impressive vaulted arches embellished with pietra dura scrollwork and quotations from the Quran in a style of calligraphy using inlaid jasper. The whole structure is topped off by four small domes surrounding the famous bulbous central dome. Directly below the main dome is the Cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal, an elaborate false tomb surrounded by an exquisite perforated marble screen inlaid with dozens of different types of semiprecious stones.

Beside it, offsetting the symmetry of the Taj, is the Cenotaph of Shah Jahan, who was interred here with little ceremony by his usurping son Aurangzeb in 1666. Light is admitted into the central chamber by finely cut marble screens. The real tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are in a locked basement room below the main chamber and cannot be viewed.

Question: What monument was described by the poet Rabindranath Tagore as "a teardrop on the cheek of time"?
Answer: Taj Mahal